Tape-feeding mechanism for telegraph printers



April 7, 1931. J. F. PORTER ET AL v TAPE FEEDING MECHANISM FOR TELEGRAPH PRINTERS Filed Aug. 3, 192? 2 SheetS-Sheet l Zmventorfi dizmed' Porter ,ZaurenceWFmnklin attorney pril 7, 1931. J. F. PORTER ET AL TAPE FEEDING MECHANISM FOR TELEGRAPH PRINTERS Filed Aug. 3, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. ck mes 1 Porter and Laurence W. Franklin wawq lfl'l ORNEY Patented Apr. 7, 1931 v UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES F. PORTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AND LAURENCE W. FRANKLIN, OF WOOD- CLIFF, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO THE WESTERN UNION TELEGRAPH COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. YL, A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK TAPE-FEEDING MECHANISM FOR TELEGRAPH PRINTERS Application filed August 3,

' the platen so that it will be fed forward by the rotation of the platen. As a result of this construction, the tape is drawn tightly over the platen and is in contact therewith over-a considerable part of the periphery thereof. This construction is clearly illustrated in a patent to Kleinschmidt, No. 1,567

aa 599, granted December 29th, 1925.

Diificulty has been experienced with this construction, however, when employing gummed tape, particularly in warm, humid weather, due to the tape adhering to the rub .55 her platen and following around with the platen, thus becoming tangled, tieing up the machine and in some instances mutilating the tape. It is not feasible to employ a stripper in close engagement with the platen to remove the tape therefrom due to the soft nature of the surface of the platen.

It is one of the objects of the present invention, therefore, to provide tape feed mechanism which will prevent the tape from adhering to and following around with theplaten.

' Another object is to provide a tape feed mechanism in which the tape is normally maintained out of contact with the platen.

40 A further object is to reduce the length and 7 pressure of the contact of the tape with th platen.

A still further object is to provide a tape feed mechanism for a printing machine which is separate from the platen.

platen m a path of travel which is practically Other objects and advantages will here- 1929. Serial No. 383,247.

tangent to the printing position of the platen, but slightly thereabove so as to be out of contact therewith. This is accomplished by positioning the tape guide at the approaching side of the platen so that it terminates at substantially the same level as the top of the platen or slightly thereabove and by providing a tape feeding mechanism on the opposite side of the platen separate therefrom, such tape feed mechanism comprising feed rollers having their contacting surfaces at substantially the same level as the top of the platen, so that the tape passes horizontally across the top of the platen and preferably out of contact therewith. Both of the feed rollers may be composed of metal to which the gummed surface of the tape does not readily adhere and a stripping device may be provided for the feed roller with which the mmed surface contacts to remove the ta e from the roller should it tend to adhere thereto.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a front perspective view of the tape feed mechanism embodying the present invention associated with a printing telegraph machine;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the platen and tape feed mechanism;

Figure 3 is a plan View of the tape and tape guides showing their relative positions with respect to the feed rollers and platen;

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

In the drawings the invention is shown applied to a telegraph printing machine but it is not necessarily limited thereto, being equally ap licable to other devices wherein it is desired to feed a tape or similar strip of material over a roller which moves with the tape and with which the tape engages.

The printing telegraph machine, the construction of which is indicated in light lines as it passes over the top of t e platen, and

an inkling ribbon 11 disposed immediately above the printing position of the tape. The

- platen, designated as 12, comprises the usual rubber surfaced roller mounted upon a platen shaft 13, hearing in brackets 14 and 15 secured to the base plate of the machine. The platen is driven by gears 16 and 17 from a shaft 18, actuated after each printing operation by mechanism not shown. The tape is drawn from a reel 19 through suitable guides across the top of the platen substantially tangent thereto but slightly thereabove, by a pair of contacting feed rollers 20 and 21.

The feed roller 20 is mounted upon a stub shaft 22 carried by a bracket 23 forming an extension of the U-shaped platen carriage frame 24. A gear 25 is fixed to the feed roller 20 and drives the roller from a gear 26 secured to the platen shaft 13, through an in termediate idler gear 27. The gear 27 is also mounted upon a stub shaft carried by the bracket 23 and is adjustable relative tothe' gears 25 and 26 byvirtue of its shaft being somewhat smaller than the opening in the bracket, through which it extends. The idler feed roller 21 is mounted between a pair of arms 28 of a U-shaped lever 29 pivoted at 30 on a shaft carried by the bracket 23. The roller 21 is pressed against the feed roller 20 by a spring 31 so as to hold the tape in positive engagement with the feed roller. The idler roller is driven from the feed roller by a gear 22 meshing with the gear 25.

A guideway 33 is provided for the tape on the advancing side of the platen, the guideway being supported from the platen'car- Zriage frame 24. The guideway comprises a channel 34, having a lip 35 extending from the lower side thereof and terminating at about the same level as the top of the platen or slightly thereabove.

A second guideway 36 is provided on the opposite .side of the platen beyond the feed rollers 20 and 21 and has a lip or stripping member 37 extending therefrom into a central annular recess 38 formed in the feed roller 20. The member 37 prevents the tape from adhering to and following around with the feed roller. I The guide 35 is supported by a bracket 39 from the cross member'40 of the U-shaped lever 24.

The contactingsurface of the feed rollers 20 and 21 and the end of the guide 33 are disposed on a line substantially tangent to the platen but slightly thereabove, so that the tapels normally entirely out of contact with the platen and is forced into contact therewith only over'a small area, by the type-bar during'the printing operation.

'The guides 31 and 33 may be ribbed or fluted'as shown in Figure 5 to reduce the area contact with the paper and thus reduce adheren ce of the gummed surface of the tape therewith and the feed rollers 20 and 21 may be milled or roughened to insure better gripagainst the platen by the feeding mechanism.

Moreover, the feed rollers are disposed at substantially the same level as the top of the platen so as to exert a pull on the tape in such direction as to tend to remove it from the platen as the platen rotates around, thus preventing the tapefrom adhering to and following around with the platen.

It is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the construction of the feeding and guiding mechanism within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims and it is to be understood'that all such changes are contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. A tape feeding mechanism for a prlntmg machine comprising a stationary frame, 'a platen mounted thereon, a guide for the tape positioned on the advancing side ofthe platen,

and a tape feeding mechanism also mounted on said stationary frame and disposed on the opposite side of the platen, said guide and feeding mechanism being positioned relatlve to the platen so as to draw the tape across the platen substantially tangent thereto but out of contact therewith.

2. A tape feeding mechanism for a printing machine having a platen and printin means movable into and out of contact wit said platen comprising a feed roller separate from said platen, said feed roller having its surface of contact with said tape on a line substantially tangent to the printing position of the platen and means independent of the movement of the printing means into contact with the platen, for rotating said. feed roller to advance the tape across the platen.

3. A tape feeding mechanism for a print-. ing machine having a rotating platen comprising a feeding roller independent of said platen, said feeding roller having its surface of contact with said tapeon a line substantially tangent to the printing position of the platen, and means for driving said feed roller in unison with said platen.

4. A tape feeding mechanism for a rinting machine having a' platen comprismg a tape feeding roller independent of said platen, said feeding roller having its surface of contact with said tape on a line substantially tangent to the rinting position of the platen,

and means or reventing adhesion of said tape to said fee ng roller.

5. A tape feeding mechanism for a printing machine comprising a platen, a shaft therefor, a feeding roller, means for pressing said. tape into contact with said feed ng roller, said point of contact bang on a line sub-- stantially tangent to the printing position of the platen, means for rotating said platen shaft, a gear on said shaft, a gear secured to said feed roller and an intermediate idler gear for driving said feeding roller in unison with the platen.

6. A tape feeding mechanism for a printing machine comprising a platen, a shaft therefor, a tape feeding roller and an idler roller for pressing said tape into contact with said feeding roller, the surface of contact of said rollers being on a line substantially tangent to the printing position of the platen, mean-s for rotating the platen shaft, a gear on said shaft, a gear secured to the feeding roller, an intermediate idler gear for driving said feeding roller in unison with said platen, and a gear secured to said idle roller meshin with said feeding roller gear.

- A tape feeding mechanism for a printing telegraph machine having a rotating platen comprising a guide for the tape disposed on the advancing side of the platen, a feed mechanism positioned on the opposite side of the platen so as to draw the tape across the platen substantially tangent to the printing position thereof, said feed mechanism comprising a feeding roller, an idler roller for pressing the tape into contact with the feeding roller and a stripping device for removing the tape from the feeding'roller should it adhere thereto.

8. A tape'feedingrmechanism for a printing telegraph machine having a platen comprising a guide for the tape positioned on the advancing side of the platen and a feed mechanism disposed on the opposite side thereof, said guide and feed mechanism being positioned relative to the platen so that the tape is normally heldout of contact therewith.

9. A tape feeding mechanism for a printing telegraph machine having a platen comprising a guide for the tape positioned on the advancing side of the platen, a feed mechanism on the opposite side of the platen positioned so as to draw the tape across the platen substantially tangent to the printing position thereof, said feed mechanism comprising a feedingroller, and an idler roller for pressingthe tape into contact with the feeding roller, one of said rollers having an annular recess on its periphery and a stripping device extending into said recess for removing the tape from the roller should it adhere thereto.

10. A tape feeding mechanism for a printing telegraph machine having a platen comprising a guide-for the tape positioned on the advancing side of the platen, a feed mechanism on the opposite side of the platen posi tioned so as to draw the tape across the platen substantially tangent to the printing position thereof, said feed mechanism comprising a feeding roller, and an idler roller for ressing the tape into contact with the feeding roller, one of said rollers having an annular recess in its periphery, a tape guide for said tape as it emerges from between said rollers, and an extension of said guide projecting into said recess for stripping the tape from the roller should it adhere thereto.

In testimonywhereof we aflix our signatures.

JAMES F. PORTER. LAURENCE W. FRANKLIN. 

